Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Very Well Thought Out

Transport Minister Liu Tuck Yew does not think road-design issues caused the epic traffic snarls on the first day of operation of the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE). His confidence in his own words is coloured by the acknowledgement that it would take two or three weeks to determine whether that was the true situation report.

If indeed the road-design was well conceived and thought out, why are tweaks still needed for Singapore's most expensive expressway? That the Land Transport Authority (LTA) could "immediately" convert a 2-lane turn off to 4-lanes at the snap of a finger on day one suggests that construction and/or land-issue constraint was not the issue, but someone simply failed to engage his brains when embarking on such a mega infrastructure undertaking. On the other hand, the planners did pay special attention on other revenue generation aspects.

Thanks to the well-thought out road-design, motorists using Ophir Road to get to Sheares Avenue to access the MCE will have to pay to enter the Central Business District (CBD), even though they have no intention of entering the CBD. Motorists exiting MCE to get to Rochor Road will also have to pay to enter the CBD, even though they have no intention of entering the CBD. Welcome to the latest ERP death trap. To avoid the hefty toll charges, motorists will just have design their own route.

The full page "Traffic Advisory For Motorists", costing something in the region of $25,000, should have been published days in advance of the grand opening of the MCE, not afterwards, as an after thought. Certainly money was not a constraining factor, the ERP tolls collected will more than cover the expense.

16 comments:

  1. Straits Times Forum

    (Unnecessary ERP gantry)

    If this ERP gantry is indeed found to be unnecessary, those motorists who have been charged ERP fees since Dec 30 last year should get refunds.

    Lee Hon Kiun


    http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-letters/story/my-point-20140107

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stats are easily manipulated to show a favoured trend. It won't be difficult for them to claim the ERP was indeed necessary.

      Delete
  2. It is a tried and tested formula. If you can make money out of the scheme why not?, the infamous reply from LKY to the now silenced Ngiam Tong Dow when he objected to the ERP regime. It is now the government versus the people since the paper general declared war on them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tuck Liu on Yew? Fat hope. The money goes to SBS and SMRT regarding the news announced yesterday to reward bus operators for punctuality. Why does the PAP government needs to do that? Obviously to make these operators "profitable". Empress Ho needs to be seen making good money over bad investment. Remember?

    ReplyDelete
  4. It was the COE scheme. ERP came much later. The MP who chaired the Select Cttee on COE served only 1 term. Also, much of such revenues come from taxes that raise money out of debt or deposits, burdening people unnecessarily. If one were not to own and change cars over his entire working lifespan, he would have saved enough to be millionaire at the minimum.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Greed: An intense and selfish desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth or power.

    ReplyDelete
  6. How does paying a million dollar salary to PAP Millionaire Tuck Yew benefit Singaporeans?

    How does voting for PAP benefit Singaporeans?

    ReplyDelete
  7. pinkie can't be happier with Mr money as his transport minister - he has broken all previous transport ministers revenue from CoE, ERP etc. Of course the $2b of over-run would be recouped within less than a year with all the lambos etc paying sky high taxes. Rumours has it kojak is eyeing a job at the IMF, probably to bail out to the IMF before the red dot's house of bubbles collapse. If kojak escapes, Mr money is a shoo-in as the next finance minister.... provided Mr money survives the next GE ... :) huat arghhh

    ReplyDelete
  8. Time to consider public transport or bicycles to work. Save the car for fun time with the spouse, kids and parents.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Better to spend the COE money on fun time with the spouse, kids and parents instead of making the ministers richer.

      Delete
  9. COE at $70,000... you could fly to LON or JFK in business class 6 times a year or every year for 6 years. And still have spare $$ to stay in hotel, makan & shop.

    Singaporeans are so eager to how lian... must show off the 4 wheels... but every screw and rivet in the car is on loan.

    ReplyDelete
  10. "Cecilia Cheung officially residing in Singapore"
    http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/cecilia-cheung-officially-residing-singapore-064500298.html

    Wah!
    I feel so rich.
    Well done PAP.

    So tell me again.
    How does this benefit Singaporeans?
    How does this benefit me?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Previously it was by-passing the CBD. Now they make sure you have to enter CBD even if you are by-passing it.

    Which now begs the question why are they forcing motorists heading to Rochor Road to enter the CBD which actually defeats the purpose of reducing the congestion within CBD area, isn't it ?

    So in reality it is revenue collection after all, nothing to do with reducing congestion at all ? They can continue to bluff us but are we going to let us bluff us again ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "So in reality it is revenue collection after all, ... "

      It has always been about money.
      A fitting epithet for PAP and PAP's founding father?

      Delete
  12. Greed knows no bound.

    ReplyDelete